Court notice to ED, Punjab on Sukhpal Singh Khaira's plea

Mohali, January 25

A Mohali court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the state on an application filed by Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira, for allowing him to file his nomination before the Returning Officer.

The court has now fixed the hearing in the case for January 27. The filing of nominations for the Assembly polls began on January 25 and the last date for it is February 1.

After being declared a Congress candidate from Bholath constituency in Kapurthala district, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who has been lodged in a Patiala jail in a money laundering case, filed an application for allowing him to submit his nomination before the Returning Officer.

The ED had arrested Khaira on November 11 for his links with drug smugglers and forgers making fake passports. However, Khaira while denying any wrong doing had said he was being targeted by central agencies as he had been vocal against the Centre’s farm laws (since repealed).

Last week, the ED had filed a chargesheet against Khaira for allegedly laundering money in the 2017 Fazilka drug smuggling racket. —